Josh isn't so smart (as Frank)

[navi tasan]

Frank is extremely smart. His friend Josh isn't so smart.

In this context, what does the second sentence mean? I see the following two possibilities:

1) Josh isn't as smart as Frank.
2) Josh isn't that smart. (Basically he is average or below average)

I suspect that the sentence is ambiguous.

 

[5jj]

Yup.

 

[Tarheel]

Frank is extremely smart. His friend Josh isn't so smart.

Josh is being compared to Frank. What other context is there?

 

[5jj]

Informally, the second sentence can mean His friend Josh isn't particularly/very/all that smart.

 

[emsr2d2]

The second is ambiguous if, as 5jj has hinted at, you accept "isn't so smart" to mean "isn't very smart". However, I would discourage learners from using "so" that way.

 

[5jj]

I would discourage learners from using "so" that way.

So would I, but the question was from our resident ambiguity spotter.

 

[emsr2d2]

So would I, but the question was from our resident ambiguity spotter.

Yes, I realise that. It's just that it's not ambiguous to everyone. It's ambiguous only to those people who think "so smart" is a grammatical alternative to "very smart", and/or to those people who think "so smart" is a grammatical alternative to "as smart [as Frank]".

For me, sentence 2 is ungrammatical so it's irrelevant whether it's ambiguous or not.

Statement of fact: His friend Josh isn't very smart.
Comparison with Frank: His friend Josh isn't as smart [as he is].

 

[Tarheel]

Informally, the second sentence can mean His friend Josh isn't particularly/very/all that smart.

It can if that's what the speaker intends. However, surely the speaker knows what he means to say. Where is the ambiguity? Maybe you mean there might be some confusion on the part of the listener. However, I doubt that. I doubt that I would be confused. For one thing, in a real life situation I would be acquainted with both of the people the speaker was referring to. Otherwise, why mention them?

 

[5jj]

It can if that's what the speaker intends. However, surely the speaker knows what he means to say. Where is the ambiguity? Maybe you mean there might be some confusion on the part of the listener. However, I doubt that.

So do I. However, navi wanted to know whether it was, potentially, ambiguous. It is.

 

[Tarheel]

If you are looking for ambiguity you can always find it.